Apparatus for molding granular cork material and other material into annular rings, collars, and other hollow shapes



Aug. 17, 1943.

G. G. BERGER APPARATUS FOR MOLDING GRANULAR CORK MATERIAL AND OTHERMATERIAL INTO ANNULAR RINGS, COLLARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW SHAPES FIG.

Filed March 27, 1941 5 "mlm Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS F'IG-2.

Aug. 17, 1943. G. G. BERGER 2,327,241

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING GRANULAR CORK MATERIAL AND OTHER MATERIAL INTOANNULAR RINGS, COLLARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW SHAPES Filed March 27, 1941 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Pisa.

INVENTOR AT TORNEYS Flc. 5.

FIG-4.

Aug- 17, 1943 G. G. BERGER 2,327,241

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING GRANULAR CORK MATERIAL AND OTHER MATERIAL INTOANNULAR RINGS, COLLARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW SHAPES Filed March 27, 1941 5Sheets-Sheet 5 A /l/L INVENTOR (M Y vw am ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17,1943 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MOLDING GRANULAR CORKMATERIAL AND OTHER MATERIAL INTO ANNULAR RINGS, COLLARS, AND OTHERHOLLOW SHAPES y George G. Berger, New York, N. Y.

Application March 27, 1941, serial No. 385,452 claims. (ci. 11i- 5) Myinvention relates to a new and improved method of and apparatus formolding granular cork material and other material into annular rings,collars and other hollow shapes.

One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide a method of andapparatus for molding such material into annular rings and annularcollars which have thin walls of non-uniform crosssection.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and meanswhereby special shapes can be molded cheaply and readily on a largescale.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus whichcan be readily assembled andn in which the material can be readilyhandled.

Another object of the invention is to mold such material into bodieswhich have thin walls, with minimum waste.

Other objects of the invention will be stated in the annexed descriptionand drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section,

, of the rst embodiment of the improved appara- Fig.` 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing the ram in its nal position.

Fig. 3 illustrates the apparatus which is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2,after the moldhas been removed, and prior to the insertion of the nextmold into the apparatus.

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively sectional views on the lines 4-4 and 5-5of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the mold after it has been removedfrom the apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a second embodimentof the invention. Fig. 7 corresponds generally to Fig. 1.

Fig. Bis a top plan vieW of Fig. 7.

The apparatus is intended to treat the Lusual cork composition in whichloose granular cork particles have been coated with a suitable binder.This binder connects the cork particles to each other, under the actionof heat and pressure. This cork composition and the method of making thesame are well known per se. The invention is not limited to anyparticular type Of corkcomposition.

Heretofore, this cork composition. which is quite resilient, has beencompacted to shape under pressure in a sectional mold, whose parts werefastened to each other until the binder had set or hardened. Theassembled or pinned mold was put into an oven, or external heat wasmolds. This made the molds very large andy heavy. 5

Considerable time was lost in assembling the various parts of the mold,in pouring the loose material into th'e mold, and then carrying theassembled mold to the press. The methods heretofore in use have made itpossible to mold only ycork bodies whose walls had considerablethickness. If a thin-walled cork body was desired, it was necessary rstto mold a body with a thick wall, and then to cut away this'wall.According to the improved method, it is possible directly to mold corkbodies from loose resilient cork particles, in which the thickness 'ofthe Wall is as low as uf inch or less at the thin end.

Fig. 1 shows a base plate l which is suitably connected to the frame ofthe machine and which is provided with a standard 2. A sleeve bearing 3is suitably fixed to the rear face of the standard 2. A seat 4, ofsemi-cylindrical shape, is provided at the front face of the standard 2.This seat 4 is also connected to the standard 2 in any suitable manner,and it serves to detachably support the mold 5, and to hold the mold inproper alignment with the other parts of the apparatus. The mold 5 maybe of any shape, and the shape of seat 4 may correspondingly vary.Themold 5 is of cylindrical shape in this embodiment and it is providedwith a detachable ring 6, which is held against rearward movementrelative to the mold 5, .by means of a series of inwardly directed pinsl. The outer end of leach pin 'l is fixed to the wall of mold 5.

The wall of the mold 5 is provided with aligned slots 8, through whichthe retaining bar 9 can be thrust, as illustrated in Fig. 6 and as willbe later more fully explained.

A plunger rod i0 is slidably mounted in the bearing 3, and said rod I0lits closely but slidably in a bore of lthe standard 2 and also inanother bore which is provided in the ring 6. At its front end, the rodl0 is provided with a reduced end Il,`which fits detachably in a headI2. The outer wall of the main body I2a of this detachable head l2 is offrusto-conical shape, and said detachable head I2 is provided with anenlarged annular end-flange I4.

This end-ange I4 fits snugly but slidably against the interior walls oftrough I5 and its detachable cover I6, whose edges form buttjoints withthe edges of the trough I5. The trough I5 and its cover I6 arerespectively of semi-cylindrical shape in this embodiment. The trough I5is Welded or otherwise suitably secured to an outer shell I'I, which hasupstanding planar walls I'Ia. These'fwalls Ila are fixed to the uprightlegs of the supports I8, by spot welding or in any other suitablemanner. The cover I6 can be held tightly in closed position, by means ofa pressure screw I9, which extends through a tapped hub 20 of a topplate or bar 2|. The plate or cross-bar 2| is pivotally connected at 22to the respective wall I'Ia of the shell II, so that said cross-bar 2|can be readily turned into the broken-line position which is illustratedin Fig.

4. The cross-bar 2I is held detachably in the full-line position whichis shown in Fig. 4, by means of a latch 23, which is pivotally connectedat 24 to the respective wall IIa of the shell I1. The pressure screw I9is preferably centrally located intermediate the ends of the cover I6,and the tip of said pressure screw I9 bears against the recess of a boss25, which is rigidly connected to the top of the cover I6. The cover I6is provided with hand-holds 26.

A ram 2'I is provided with a head 28, which has an extension 29. Thisram 2'I is moved horizontally to-and-fro by means of conventionalhydraulic mechanism or other conventional actuating mechanism which isgenerally designated as M.

The method lows:

of using the apparatus is as' folthe position which is shown in Fig. 3,until the extension II is located in the bore of the standard 2. A mold5, assembled with its ring 6, is then located in the position shown inFig. l. Said mold 5 is partially supported by the member 4, and it ispartially supported by the shell I1. This shell I`I has a lip whichsupports the front end of mold 5, so that the mold 5 is held alignedwith trough I5, and the adjacent edgewalls of mold 5 and of trough I5form a tight butt-joint.

At this time the cover I6 is out of its closing position. The rod orplunger IU -is then moved by hand or otherwise to the position shown inFig. 1, and it is then assembled with the head I2. The flange I4 of headI2 is supported by trough I5.

A predetermined weight or mass of the cork composition is then placed intrough I5, before applying the cover I6y so as to fill the interiorspace of the trough and of its cover, after the cover has been closed,as much as possible. Mechanical or hydraulic pressure is then applied tothe ram 2`I, so as to move it to the left of its position which is shownin Fig. l. This movement is designated as a forward movement. Theextension 29 enters the bore of the head I2 and the head 28 exertsforward pressure against the front end-wall of the flange I4, so thatthe plunger or rod I0 is moved forwardly or to the left. The corkcomposition is compressed between the ring 6 and the head I2 and itsange I4, and also between the inner walls of the mold 5 and the adjacentwall of the plunger I0. The ring 6 is held against longitudinal movementrelative to the mold 5. during this forward move- The rod or plunger IIlis moved rearwardly to ment of the head I2, by means of the pins 1. Theresult of this operation is shown in Fig. 2, which shows the flange I4located in the mold 5, so that a highly compressed cork body C ofgeneral frusto-conical shape has been formed in the mold 5. During thisforward movement of the head I2 towards the stationary ring 6, theplunger Ill fills the bore of said ring 6 until said bore is filled bythe shank of member I2. The locking bar 9 is now inserted through slots8, and through the intermediate recess 30 of the head 28, thus lockinghead I2 in position in mold 5, under the full pressure of the ram 21.The ram 21 is now moved away from the head I2, and the member I0 ismoved to the left of the position which is shown in Fig. 2, so that itis possible to remove the mold 5 from the apparatus, together with thering 6 and the head I2. The mold 5 and its assembled and locked members6 and I2 and the body C of highly compressed cork composition,l

under full maintained pressure, can now be heated in a suitable furnace,so as to set the cork composition. The bar 9 prevents the head I2 frommoving outwardly, while the cork composition is setunder heat andpressure. The retaining bar 9 can then be removed and the head I2separated from the completed cork body C, which can then be readilyremoved from the mold.

The complete cork body has a through-andthrough bore, and its wall is 0fnon-uniform thickness. Bodies of diiferent shapes can be molded by usingmolds whose interior walls have various shapes, and also by using rings6 of different shapes. I can use a mold whose wall is of non-uniformthickness, and numerous other variations and omissions can be made fromthe preferred embodiment, without departing from its spirit. In thefinal position shown in Fig. 2, the rear end of the cylindrical shank ofhead I2 may abut the front wall of standard 2, or said rear end of headI2 may be spaced from the front wall of standard 2.

The rear cylindrical shank of head I2 partially i laterally overlies thebore of standard 2, so that said shank cannot be pushed into said bore.

Said cylindrical shank ts snugly in the bore of ring 6, and part of saidshank projects rearwardly relative to ring 6, when the parts are in thenal position shown in Fig. 6. The plunger I0 is then moved to theposition shown in Fig. 3, until the reduced end I I is spaced from thehead I2. The mold 5 and its rings 6 and its head I2 can then be liftedout of position. The cover I6 may be closed or open while the mold 5andV its ring 6 and its head I2 are thus lifted out of position.

After the composition has set to nal shape, the locking bar 9 and thehead I2 can be readily removed, and the completed cork article can thenbe readily ejected from the mold by applying force to the ring 6, whichis freely movable away from the retaining pins 1.

The tapered outerl wall of body I2 extends substantially up to the boreof ring 6, when the parts are in thel nal position of Fig. 2.

The tapered inner wall of ring 6 then overlies the tapered outer wall ofbody I2. The entire mass of cork composition is thus subjected tolateral pressure as well as longitudinal pressure, which is veryimportant in making a dense and strong thin-walled cork article.

The invention relates particularly to making a body from particles ofresilient cork. However, it is not limited to any material or to anycombination of materials.

The charge of material which is supplied to the trough I5, to make eachcork object, can be weighed accurately. It is not necessary to haveflange I4 enters mold 5, or before the front cylindrical shank of headI2 enters the mold 5. The degree of compression of the cork object C cantherefore be accurately regulated.

A horizontal press is illustrated in this embodiment, but said presscould be mounted vertically, if desired.

For convenience the members 6 and I2 may be designated as mold members,and the member l may be designated as a supplemental mold member. Theleftfhand end of the mold 5, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, may bedesignated as the second open end of said mold 5. The other opposed openend of said mold 5 may be designated as the first open end offsaid mold.During the molding operation, the member 8 is held by pins 1 againstlongitudinal movement relative to the mold 5, in a direction towards thesecond open end ofthe mold. The mold member I2 is moved towards saidsecond open end, in unison with the memberA I 0.

When the cover I6 is closed, the combined members I5 and I6 may bedesignated as a hopper. The bore of the member I2 is merely 'forconvenience, so that the members II and 28 can enter said bore forbetter alignment of the parts. Said bore can be omitted, or it can bereplaced by recesses at the front and rear ends of the member I2.

In the second embodiment, the trough I5 is provided with a cover 3|which is rigidly fastened to a stud 32, which is rigidly fastened to alever 33. The lever 33 is suitably mounted on the frame of the machinefor longitudinal sliding movement and also for rocking movement, so thatthe cover 3| may be moved tothe open position which is illustrated inbroken lines in Fig- '1.

The outlet end of the trough I5 is providedi with a. cross-bar 34, whichis suitably fixed to the upstandlng walls |1a. 'I'his cross-bar 34 isprovided with a stop flange 35, which limits the sliding movement of thecover 3|, in a direction towards the outlet end of the trough I5. Thetrough I5 and the cover 3| are respectively of semi-cylindrical shape,and the underside of the cross-bar 34 has a recess of semi-cylindricalshape, in which the cover 3| ts accurately, when the cover 3| is intight closing position.

The cross-bar 341is provided with a guide projection 35, whose bottomWallis tapered. As indicated in broken lines in Fig. '1, when the cover3| is pushed longitudinally towards the outlet y end of the trough I5,the respective end of the into the position shown in Fig. 2. It issubsequently necessary to push the plunger I0 into' 'the releaseposition which is vshown in Fig. 3,

in order to remove the mold and its assembled parts from the apparatus.For this purpose the end of the plunger I0 is pivoted at 31 to a lever`3,8, which is pivoted at 39 to a link 40, which is pivoted at 4| to afixed frame member 42.

The operator can thus manually move the lever 38 to the final positionindicated in broken lines in\ Fig. 8, thus moving plunger I0 to theposition shown in Fig. 3.

The full-line position of the lever 38 whichis shown in Fig. 8,corresponds to the position of the plunger I0 which is shown in Fig. 1and also in Fig. '7.

The slidably guided cover shown in Fig. J7, downwardly presses thecharge of cork material, so that this substantially iills the spacewhich is shown `in Fig. 1, prior to the ltime that pressure is appliedby the ram 21.

Fig. 7 shows a removable support 43 for the mold 5. The top wall of thissupport has a V-shaped recess, in' which the mold 5 is supported.

The apparatus can be used with molds of different sizes, to moldarticles of different sizes, by changing the molds and also changing thetroughs I5, and the heads I2 etc., while using the frame and theessential parts of the apparatus.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is clear thatnumerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from itsspirit. Y

yFor example, if the extension II of plunger Ill is omitted, the rearextension of the head or piston-member I2 will push plunger I0 whollyout of the bore of the rear wall-member 6 of the mold. K

The piston member I2a may be made of any material, and it may have anyshape. r The cork material may be set without heating the same, bymerely maintaining the material 7 under pressure for a suitable periodof time, at

ordinary room temperature of about rI0" F.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for molding a body from loose material, comprising a moldhaving a longitudinal axis and a first; open end and a second open end,said vends being opposed and being in alignment along said longitudinalaxis, the second open end being located rearwardly of the first openend, a support for said mold, a rst mold-member located in said moldrearwardly of the said first open end, said first mold-member having aperiphery which ts slidably against the inner wall of the mold,retaining means secured to said mold and limiting the rearward movementof the first mold-member towards the second open end and permitting theforward movement of said first mold-member longitudinally towards saidfirst open end, said rst mold-member having a longitudinal bore, aplunger iittlng slidably in said bore and movable to-and-fro relative tosaid ilrst mold-member in a direction parallel to said longitudinalaxis, said plunger being forwardly movable into and rearwardly movablewholly out of the bore of said rst mold-member, a hopper which isaligned with said mold when said mold is mounted on said support, saidhopper being located forwardly of said mold, said `hopper having anend-wall which makes a snug fit with the end-wall of the mold at itsilrsi; open end, said plunger being movable forwardly through said moldinto said hopper and being rearwardly movable wholly out of said hopper,the inner wall of said hopper being/'of the same size and shape as theinner wall of the mold adjacent said first open end, a secondmold-member, a front endwall of said plunger being shaped to abut therear end-wall of the second mold-member, said plunger being freelyrearwardly movable relative to said second mold-member, said secondmoldmember having a peripheral portion which lits snugly and slidablyagainst the inner wall of the hopper, means adapted to exert a rearwardactuating force on said second mold-member to move Cil it rearwardly inunison with the plunger while y the iirst mold-member is held againstrearward movement by said retaining means, the second mold-member havinga rear shank which is shaped to close the bore of the rst mold-member,the second mold-member being rearwardly movable out of the hopper andWholly into the mold into a position in which the shank of the secondmold-member closes the bore of the rst mold-member, holding meansadapted to detachably lock the second mold-member in said position insaid mold, said mold and said retaining means and said mold-membersbeing movable together as a sub-unit away from said support and awayfrom said hopper and siad plunger and independently of said hopper andsaid plunger when the second mold-member is in said position.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which a part of the inner wall ofthe first mold-member is ared away from said longitudinal axis, and inwhich a part of the periphery of the second mold-member is also aredaway from said longitudinal axis.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which a part of the inner wall ofthe first mold-member is flared away from said longitudinal axis, a partof the periphery of the second mold-member being also flared away fromsaid longitudinal axis, said ared part of the inner wall of the rstmoldmember being spaced laterally from the flared part of the peripheryof the second mold-member when the second mold-member is in finalposition in the mold, the flared part of the inner Wall of the rstmold-member longitudinally overlying the ared part of said periphery,when the second mold-member is in said final position.

4. Apparatus for molding a bored article from loose material, comprisinga mold having a longitudinal axis and a front open end and a rear openend which are spaced from each other along said axis, said mold having afirst mold-member located therein, said first mold-member having a borewhich is concentric with said axis, a longitudinally movable plungershaped to t snugly and slidably in said bore and movable longitudinallyforwardly into said bore and movable rearwardly longitudinally whollyout of said bore, a second mold-member spaced forwardly andlongitudinally from the first mold-member, said second mold-memberhaving a shank which is shaped to fit snugly and slidably in said bore,said second mold-member having a continuous wall of which a part fitssnugly and slidably against the inner wall of the mold, the secondmold-member and the plunger being longitudinally and `rearwardly movablein unison until the plunger is moved wholly out; of said bore and saidshank simultaneously enters said bore and contacts the Wall of saidbore, means fixed to said mold for limiting the rearward movement of therst moldmember relative to the mold, said mold and said mold membersbeing laterally movable in unison relative to said plunger when saidplunger is wholly out of said bore and said shank is located in saidbore.

5. Apparatus for molding a bored article from loose material, comprisinga mold having a longitudinal axis and a 4front open end and a rear openend which are spaced from each other along said axis, said mold having afirst mold-member located therein, said rst mold-member having a borewhich is concentric with said axis, a longitudinally movable plungershaped to t snugly and slidably in said bore and movable longitudinallyforwardly into said bore and movable longitudinally rearwardly whollyout of said bore, a second mold-member spaced forwardly andlongitudinally\from the rst; mold-member, said second mold-member havinga shank which is shaped to lit snugly and slidably in said bore, saidsecond mold-me`mber having a continuous wall of which a part fits snuglyand slidably against the inner wall of the mold, the second moldmemberand the plunger being longitudinally and rearwardly movable in unisonuntil the plunger is moved Wholly out of said bore and said shanksimultaneously enters and closes said bore, means xed to said mold forholding the rst; moldmember in a predetermined position in said moldagainst rearward longitudinal movement relative to the mold, said firstmold-member and said second mold-member respectively having cooperatingand flared wall-portions inside the mold, the narrowest portion of saidflared wallportions being at; the respective rear ends of said aredWall-portions, said mold and said mold members being laterally movablein unison relative to said plunger when said plunger is wholly gut ofsaid bore and said shank is located in said ore.

GEORGE G. BERGER.

